RALEIGH, N.C. -- Relatives of a mother killed in a car crash in Landis say the law gives more rights to a pregnant deer than to a pregnant woman. On Tuesday they took their fight for tougher penalties to Raleigh.

Jennifer Raper showed Eyewitness News the buttons she wore to show lawmakers pictures of her cousin Leanna Newman. Newman and her unborn baby, Bianca, died when they were hit head-on by a man accused of driving drunk.

That driver is only charged with one count of murder.

Now Newman’s family is pushing a proposed bill that would make a person who kills a pregnant mother responsible for both deaths. Two families of victims were at the news conference. Raper talked about both families: "There's going to be no justice for baby Ethan or baby Bianca or anyone else, and we have to put a stop to that.”

Tim Nielsen's pregnant wife was killed last month as she delivered newspapers in Raleigh. He said changing the law wouldn't comfort his family, but it might help others.

State representative Fred Steen supports both families and is sponsoring the proposed bill. He wonders why state law protects unborn deer but not unborn babies. Hunters who killed two pregnant deer out-of-season were recently cited and fined for killing four deer.

"If we recognize unborn animals, why can't we recognize unborn human beings who already have names? These are appalling to most North Carolina citizens," he said.

After the news conference families who lost loved ones went straight to the office of the Speaker of the House, hoping to persuade him to consider this new bill.

Jeanette Bentley is Newman's aunt. She said this is a start.

"We've got the momentum going but we've got to stay after it. We can't let this go cold," she said.

Fred Steen said the bill could be considered Thursday at a committee meeting and adopted as early as the end of the month, but he said it's up to the state leaders to make that happen.

Most states in the country already have bills protecting unborn babies. The only state in the Southeast without a bill is North Carolina.